Flexible coupling



vAug. '10 1926.

W. J. FRANCKEv FLEXIBLE coUPLING Patented Aug. 10,1926.

' WILLIAM J.. rnnNcxE,

or H'IGHLND PARK, NEW JERSEY, assrGNon, BYNESNE AssIeNMEN'rs, 'ro JOHN WnLDnoN ,cnronA'rIoN, 0E NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW .IEB-

sEY, n conronfA'rIoN or NEW JERSEY.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING.

Application n led January 10, 1922. Serial Nb. 528,315.

' This invention 'relates to flexible couplings, the object of the invention being to provide a'couplng'having certain novel and improving featuresof construction herein- Q ,after clearlyL set forth.

'In the attached drawings: Figure 1, is alongitudn'al ,section through the coupling on the line 1--1, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2, is a section on the line 2 -2, Fig. 1; i

line 3 3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary section on the line 44, Fig. 2; 1 A

Fig. 5, isa fragmentary face view of one of the couplings;

Fig. 6, 1s a fragmentary face' view o'f one of the keeper rings, and

Fig. 7, is avlewin perspective of one of the, kee er pins.

pling comprises a pair of hub elements 1 and 2 whi h are adapted to be keyed or otherwise attached to the endsof the re.-l

spective coupled shafts (not shown).

The hub element 1, as best illustrated in Flgs. 1, 3 and 5, has secured to the forward face thereof by means' of bolts 3, a c linder 4, composed in the 'present instance o a, pair of substantially cup-shaped rings 5 and 6,

respectively male and female, which fit toether at their edges-to form thecylinder he hub element 1, as shown in Fig. 5,' is

providedl witha ilange 7, in lwhich are formed aseries. of spaced'holes 8 for the :reception of -the bolts13, the 'rings 5 and'6 -being -similarly apertured at 9,39, for the passa e v.therethroughof the. said bolts where y 4the said rings are secured together and to thehub element.

As clearly shown in Fig."-"1,'tbe hub element 2 extends through the vcentral opening-10 of ithe ring '5 and .has a ilange 11 which occupies the interior, annular .recess `or chamber 4'L of the cylinder 4. As best shown in Fi 2, the ange 11 is provided With an ev'en y spaced `series of rectangular radial/recesses 1-2, 12, and'also, intermediate of the .said recesses, with a series of openmgs 13 through which theebolts' 3' extend, sald openings 13,as clearly illustrated, bein somewhat larger inv diameter `than the diameter of the bolt. In the present instance, the ange 11 has, one each side .through ofthe bolt 3. 6, the rlngs 5 and 6 a're provided with rec- Fig. 3, is 'a fragmentary section on 'the With re erence'to the drawings, the cou' tures 16, 16, It will' also be -eleme'nt 5, as shown in Figs. 1

thereof,'a facing ring 15, which may be renewed incase of wear, said segments lying between the recesses 1 2 and beingjsecured to the ange by means of bolts or rivets 14, 14. The r1ngs 15 are aperturedin accordance with the ila-nge'. for the passage there As shown in Fig.

tangular openings 16, 16, which correspond in position with the rectangular recesses 12' of the hub element j2.

,Disposed within each of the said recesses 12 i's a flat keeper pin 17, best shown in Fig.l 7 comprising a pa'ir of side elements 18, 18,

.having flat outer faces, and inner faces convexed on the arc of a circle, said side elementshaving confined therebetyveen a set of flat l rectangular springs 19 or 'similar'resil- 'rent elements, the' said springs being held in place between the side elements, and the latter beingy Vsecured together by means of suitable securing means such as rivets 20, 20. The "resilient elements 19. constitute a rec-' tangular laminated body, the ends of which extendl beyond the ends of the side elements 18 and project into the rectangular openings 16 of the male and female rings 5 and 6.

As best illustrated in Figs. 1, v2 andA, thgf side elements 18 and the projecting ends of the resilient body 19 are so formed as to tit neatly within the annular space formed be-A tween the rings 5 and 6 and the saidaperwhereas the pins t neatly between the sides of the recesses 12,. the latter are sufficiently` deep to pegmit a limited relative movement in the radial direction between the pins and the element 2, such movement being further provided for byY clearance vprovided between the periphery of the fiange lland themside of the cylinder' 4'.. -Clearance is also provid d between the sides of the recess 4' and l,the acing segments 1 5, 15, Aas .best shown inl Fig. 3. y

As will be .'apparent, the. divided. nature of the cylinder lt-permitsassembling the coupling and the mounting in the interlor of the said cylinder of the flange 11 of the hub 2. 4A cup-shapedwasher 21 1s preferablysecured at the outer face of the ring and 3.l

The operation of the coupling will be apnoted that.-

Y t0. those familiar with th @at 1 Slight angular and Aparallel misalinements of the axes of the respective coupled shafts are compensated by reason of the exure of the body 19 and the arcuate inner faces of the side elements 18, 18, of the keeper pins, and by the various clearances permitting relative movement between the element 2 and those members fixed to the element 1.

It will be apparent that considerable modification in detail and general form is permissible with no departure from the essential features of the invention.

I' claim:

1. A flexible coupling comprising two elements adapted respectively to be secured to the adjacent ends of two shafts, one of said elements having an annular recess and the other element a corresponding flange ex-l tending into said recess, said flange and the side walls of the recess havin openings, a flexible member having its en established in the openings in the said side walls and extending through the openings in said ilange, and bolts extending through said flange and through the side walls of said recess and constituting means for limiting the extent of the lexure to which the flexible elements may be subjected.

2. A flexible coupling comprising two elements adapted respectively to.be secured to the adjacent ends of two shafts, one of said elements having an annular recess with apertures in the side walls thereof vand the other element having a correspondingly apertured flange extending into said recess and keeper elements comprising a' rigid body portion mounted in the apertures of said flange with resilient elements secured to and the apthe adjacent ends of two shafts, one of said elements having an annular recess and the other element having a corresponding flange extending into said recess, said flan e and the opposite sides of sald recess aving openings therein, flexible elements having their ends fixed in the openings in said side walls and extending through the openings in said flange, and members mounted in said latter openings and presenting curved surfaces to the said liexible elements.

4. A exible coupling comprising two elements adapted respectively to be secured to the adjacent ends of two shafts, a cylindrical member having an annular recess, bolts securing the member to one of said elements and extending through said recess, a flange on the other of said elements established within said recess and having apertures for passage of said bolts through thel flange, and flexible' elements connecting the flange with the opposite. side walls of said recess.

5. A iiexible coupling comprising two elements adapted respectively to be secured to the adjacent endsof two shafts, a cylindrical member secured to one of said elements and having an annular recess, a flange on the other of said elements established within saidE recess, facing elements secured to the opposite sides' of said flange, and flexible lelements connecting the flange with the walls of the cylindrical member.

WILLIAM J. FRANCKE. 

